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JOURNAL OF RURAL ART AND RURAL TASTE. 



in OUNTRY places that may properly be called ornamental, are increasing so fast, 

 especially in the neighborhood of the large cities, that a word or two more, touch- 

 ing their treatment, will not be looked upon as out of place here. 



All our country residences may readily be divided into two classes. The first and 

 largest class, is the suburban place of from five to twenty or thirty acres ; the second 

 is the country-seat, properly so called, which consists of from 30 to 500 or more acres. 



In all suburban residences, from the limited extent of ground, and the desire to get 

 the utmost beauty from it, the whole, or at least a large part of the ornamental portion, 

 must be considei'ed only as pleasure-grounds — a term used to denote a garden scene, 

 consisting of trees, shrubs and flowers, generally upon a basis of laM'n, laid out with 

 walks in different styles, and kept in the highest order. The aim in this kind of resi- 

 dence, is to produce the greatest possible variety within a given space, and to attain 

 the utmost beauty of gardening as an art, by the highest keeping and cultiu-e which 

 the means of the proprietor will permit. 



Of this kind of pleasure-ground residence, we have numberless excellent examples — 

 and perhaps nowhere more admirable specimens than in the neighborhood of Boston. 

 Both in design and execution, these little places will, at the present moment, bear very 

 favorable comparison with many in older countries. The practical management of such 

 places is also very well understood, and they need no especial mention in these remarks. 



But in the larger country places, there are ten instances of failure for one of suc- 

 cess. This is not owing to the want of natural beauty, for the sites are picturesque, 

 the surface varied, and the woods and plantations excellent. The failm-e consists, for 

 the most part, in a certain incongruity and want of distinct character in the treatment 

 place as a whole. They are too large to be kept in order as pleasure-gr 

 they are not laid out or treated as parks. The grass which stretches on all 



March 1, 1851. 



No. III. 



